The Witch and the ExDemon
by Just Funning
Summary: Set in season 5, at the beginning of the episode I Was Made to Love You. A little adventure with just Tara and Anya. Explains why those two were together at the start of that episode, where they were going and why. Will try to post a chapter a day.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Buffy the Vampire Slayer property or any of the characters therein.**

The Witch and the Ex-Demon

Chapter One: Teach Me

To say that Tara was surprised when she opened the door to find Anya standing alone in the hallway would be an understatement. Tara actually stuck her head out the doorway, looking right then left. "Xander isn't wuh-with you?"

"No," Anya said, walking past Tara into the dorm room without waiting to be invited. "Is Willow around?"

"She has class, and then study group after. She won't be back for hours. If you want to cuh-come back later…"

"That's okay, I guess you'll have to do."

Tara averted her eyes to the floor. She was always a bit uncomfortable when attention was focused on her—except when Willow was doing the focusing—and there was a directness to Anya's speech and stare that made Tara feel like a specimen under the microscope. "Wuh-what exactly do you nuh-need?" Tara stammered; her stutter always became more pronounced when she was nervous.

Anya stood there, dressed mostly in white, looking more like an angel than the ex-demon she was, seemingly oblivious to Tara's discomfort. In truth, Anya was usually oblivious to anyone's feelings but her own. Except maybe Xander's, but Tara even questioned that at times. "I've been giving it some thought lately, and I want to participate in some of the activities you and Willow do together."

A hot blush crept into Tara's cheeks, at the same time her mind emptied of all coherent thought, so total was her shock. "Wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh…"

"Oh no, not the lesbian stuff," Anya said with a flip of her hand. "I'm much too big a fan of the penis for that. I'm talking about the witchcraft."

"Wuh-witchcraft?"

"You know, spells and charms and potions and all that. I want you to teach me how to do it."

"What exactly do you want to luh-learn?"

"All of it. I have been thinking about it ever since Willow made the offer to show me a few spells."

"Willow offered to teach you?"

"Yes, you were there. Don't you remember?"

Tara just shook her head.

"It was when Giles was away and you and Willow were robbing the Magic Box blind trying to create that silly ball of sunshine. In an attempt to distract me from your criminal activities, Willow said the two of you could teach me some magic."

"You mean when you and Willow accidentally fuh-freed that troll that wreaked havoc all across Sunnydale, leaving behind a trail of duh-destruction and injuries?"

"Yes, very impressive for a beginner, wouldn't you say?"

"Some may say impressive, others muh-may say disastrous."

"All the bad stuff I'm pretty sure was Willow's fault. She seems a bit rash and doesn't think through all the consequences when it comes to the magic. Probably better to have you as my teacher. You're much more levelheaded."

"Thanks," Tara said, blushing again. She wasn't used to compliments. "I suppose I could tuh-teach you to float a pencil or something."

"Boring. Let's start with something big. Transmutation, astral projection, teleportation. Ooh, or a spell to turn air into money. Do you know a spell to turn air into money?"

"Uhm, no, but I do know a spell to turn water into wine."

"Sounds vaguely blasphemous; I like it. Let's get started."

"Well, problem is Willow and I are suh-sort of low on supplies at the moment—"

"Then we'll go buy some, but not from the Magic Box."

"Why not?"

"I don't want Xander to know about this. He'd get that disapproving frown, and that little frown typically leads to no sex."

"Oh," Tara said softly, looking anywhere but at Anya. "But there aren't any other magic shops in town."

"No problem. I know a guy that trades in dark magic, deals mostly with demon types. He should have anything we need."

"Duh-demon types? Will it be suh-safe?"

"Sure. If anyone or any_thing _gives us any trouble, you can just zap lightning out of your fingers or something."

"But I cuh-can't—"

"Come on," Anya said, grabbing Tara's hand and pulling her toward the door. "Time's a wasting."


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter actually incorporates a scene from the episode "I Was Made to Love You." It was this scene that inspired the story, my curiosity as to why Tara and Anya—two characters you rarely see alone in a scene—were walking down the street together. Where were they coming from, and where were they going?_

Chapter Two: Computers and Money

The day was bright and warm, the kind of day that makes you want to play hooky from school or work and have picnics in the park with loved ones. Instead, Tara was walking down the street with a peculiar young woman she felt she barely knew despite the fact that they spent a portion of almost every day together. Anya rarely had any meaningful interaction with anyone in the Scooby Gang but Xander, and to be honest the same could be said of Tara with Willow.

Anya was walking at a brisk pace, a woman with a mission, and Tara really had to hoof it to keep up. Tara didn't know exactly where they were going, but she hoped it wasn't too far; she wasn't wearing the most comfortable shoes. People talked about how small of a town Sunnydale was, but it wasn't actually _that _small. After all, it had its own university and airport. If Tara had known she was going to be traveling on foot today, she'd have worn sneakers.

"Anya, wuh-where are we going?"

"Last I heard it was located in the alley behind the Espresso Pump, so I figure we'll start there."

"Last you heard?"

"Yes, it moves around a lot and it's cloaked. You know, like in _Star Trek_."

"Well, how do you expect to fuh-find it?"

"Oh, I don't. I'm counting on you."

"Muh-me?" Tara said, stopping on the sidewalk.

"Yes, demons and those tapped into the magics are the only ones who can sense the place. If it was a couple of years ago, I'd have been able to sense it from miles away, but as it is, I'm nothing but a plain old mortal now, albeit a devastatingly beautiful one, so I'll have to use you as sort of a Geiger counter."

Tara wasn't sure exactly how this was supposed to work, but she decided not to ask anymore questions and just follow Anya. Chances were she wouldn't sense anything and they'd just have to call off this little excursion, which would probably be for the best.

"So this guy," she said, "does he chuh-charge a lot? Because I don't have that much money on me."

"That's okay, I have gobs of cash," Anya said, pulling out handfuls of twenties from her purse then stuffing them back inside.

Tara's eyes got so wide when she saw the money that she felt they were going to fall right out of her head. "Just how muh-much does Mr. Giles pay you?"

"Not enough for the valuable service I provide, I'll tell you that. But I made most of this on the computer."

"The computer?"

"Oh yes. I became very interested in computers after I used one to try to shut down the power to the Initiative last year. I've learned quite a bit about the technology in a short time."

"But how do you use the computer to make money?"

"It's easy. Do you know anything about computers?"

Tara shook her head. "Willow's good with all that computer stuff, but me not so much. Do you really understand all that?"

"Oh, at first it was confusing. Just the idea of computers was like…whoa, I'm 1100 years old. I had trouble adjusting to the idea of Lutherans."

"Well, I go online sometimes, but everyone's spelling is really bad. It's depressing."

"But you have to try online trading, it's great," Anya said with an enthusiasm that was almost manic. "The secret is avoiding the tech companies everyone was jumping on and going with the smaller firms that supply the basic components."

Tara just stared at the ex-demon blankly. "Uh-huh."

"Anyway, I took the money from working with Giles and I tripled it."

Now this got Tara's attention. "Truh-tripled? Like first money, then money-money-money?"

"Yes, I'm thinking of buying something very expensive. Maybe an antelope."

Just then Tara and Anya were approached by a pretty young woman with long dark hair and a thousand-watt smile. "Hi," she chirped.

"Hi," Anya replied.

"I'm looking for Warren. Do you know where Warren is, and if you do, could you tell me?"

Tara and Anya exchanged a puzzled glance then Tara said, "Uhm, I don't think we know a Warren."

"Well, alrighty. No harm in asking. Thanks."

With that, the girl continued past them. Tara watched her accost a man on a nearby bench, asking about this Warren. Shrugging, Tara turned back to Anya to continue their conversation. "You can do all this with a regular computer?"

"I'll show you. You can also see the website I designed for the magic shop. Huge photo of me."

"How much have you made so far from the online trading?"

"Couple thousand."

"Wuh-wow. Impressive. Does Xander know?"

"Heavens no. If he did, he might stop buying me pretty things."

They were approaching the Sun Cinema at the head of Sunnydale's main street. The Magic Box was down at the opposite end of the street, but they weren't going that far. Just before they got to the town's one coffee shop, The Espresso Pump, Anya steered them down a narrow alley. "Feel anything?" she asked.

"Like wuh-what?"

"Sort of like static electricity, a tingling of the skin. It'll get stronger the closer you get to it."

Tara was about to say she felt nothing, but then she realized she did feel _something_. The air felt ionized the way it did before a big storm. Or perhaps she was just imagining it, the power of suggestion and all that.

"We're close, aren't we?" Anya said.

Instead of answering, Tara started further down the alley, feeling almost as if she were being drawn in that direction. Another alley intersected this one, and she turned left, Anya trailing along behind her. It was like a labyrinth back behind the businesses of Main Street, an intricate network of these small alleyways, and Tara's feet moved almost without conscious thought. The electric vibrations she felt in the air intensified until her body practically thrummed with them. Her breathing became heavy, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on her face.

"Almost there," Anya whispered behind her. "Even I can feel it this close."

Suddenly the world began to dissolve around them, as if the very fabric of reality were melting. Tara felt a moment of vertigo and a slightly nauseated sensation, and then the world reformed around them. Only they were no longer standing in the alley; now they were in a dingy waiting room with dusty furniture and stained wallpaper.

"Wuh-where are we?" Tara said.

Beside her Anya smiled and announced, "We're here."

"Where is here?"

"Rack's place."


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter is a little on the shortish side, I know. It's more of a bridge to get into the next part of the story. Still, I hope you enjoy it all the same._

Chapter Three: Waiting

They weren't alone in the windowless waiting room. On a nearby sofa that looked as if it had seen its best days sometime in the 60s sat a creature with a bulbous green head and spiked ridges running down its skull like a lethal Mohawk; it was flipping through an outdated _Entertainment Weekly_. A filthy man who looked and smelled as if he hadn't bathed in the last year rocked back and forth on an old wooden kitchen chair; at least Tara thought he was a man, he might have been a Dirt Monster for all she knew. In the corner, a strange beast with the head of a shark played a game of chess with a stunning blonde woman in a tight red leather dress and eyes of pure silver.

"I feel a little cuh-conspicuous."

"Nonsense," Anya said. "Rack attracts all kinds, even mousey types like yourself."

Normally a comment like that would have stung, but Tara had actually grown somewhat accustomed to Anya's unfiltered bluntness; most thought it rude, but Tara knew there was nothing personal in it. "I don't know, just suh-seems to be a rather duh-dangerous crowd."

"Well, no one here ever cast a spell that nearly got me killed except for you," Anya said pointedly.

Now that _did _sting. It was true, not that long ago Tara, driven to a state of confusion and desperation by her father's lies, had indeed performed some reckless magic that had put all of her friends in harm's way. Not her proudest moment, and she still didn't feel worthy of the unconditional forgiveness she'd been offered by the group.

Anya took a seat on a sagging settee that was leaking foam; Tara joined her, sitting on the very edge of the cushion, not wanting to look too closely at the various stains on the fabric. "So wuh-what do we do now?"

"Just wait our turn."

"How well do you knuh-know this Rack guy?"

"Back in my demon days he had a little thing for me. Of course, I was never receptive to his advances. Okay, maybe once at a Christmas party after too much Yak's urine I made out with him under the mistletoe."

"Demons have Christmas parties?"

Anya seemed slightly offended by this question. "Just because demons are unholy doesn't make them uncivilized. You should know that better than anyone. I mean, up until recently you thought you were one. Speaking of which, have you heard from your family since your birthday?"

Tara shook her head and stared down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap.

"Is this one of those sensitive topics Xander is always telling me I should shy away from?"

Still not looking at Anya, Tara nodded.

"I swear, I'm not sure I'm ever going to get used to being human again. There are so many arbitrary rules about what we can talk about and what we can't, subjects that are taboo and situations where we're expected to be deceptive to spare someone's feelings, even when they ask us for the truth. People rarely say what they mean, but that is somehow considered more acceptable than unadulterated honesty. It's confusing; someone should publish a manual."

"_Being Human for Dummies_," Tara suggested.

"Well, I'd certainly appreciate the help. Human behavior follows no rational laws that I can tell, and yet I'm criticized for not catching on quickly enough."

"I think you're doing quite well," Tara said.

Anya smiled brightly at her. "Thanks. I have learned a lot. Money, computers, knocking on doors before entering. Also, I'm a tiger in the sack, although Xander wishes I'd—"

Tara was relieved to be spared from hearing the rest of that sentence when the door on the far side of the room opened. Standing, Anya said, "I'm going to see if I can use my feminine wiles to jump ahead in line."

But when Anya turned toward the door, she suddenly screamed. A high-pitched shriek that could have shattered glass. Tara jumped to her feet to ask what was wrong, but then she saw the creature stepping out into the waiting room.

It was an eight-foot tall rabbit.


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm not as happy with this section as the previous three. I have a problem with actiony sequences, I never feel that turn out as good as I hope they will. So be gentle…_

Chapter Four: Leporiphobia

It wasn't exactly a rabbit, not in all aspects and proportions anyway. It had the body of a man, albeit a tall one, dressed in faded jeans and a Dingoes Ate My Baby T-shirt. But the head was all bunny—dingy gray fur, one ear sticking straight up, the other flopped over the left eye like a patch. Its eyes were pink, as was the nose from which whiskers thick as broom straw sprouted. A fat cigar was clamped in its mouth, smoke creating an amorphous cloud around its head.

"We have to get out of here," Anya said in a thin voice, backing up until she bumped into Tara.

"Cuh-calm down, it's okay." Tara was of course aware of Anya's rather irrational rabbit phobia, so the sight of this creature must seem like a nightmare made flesh to her.

Anya was breathing rapidly and shallowly, actually seemed in danger of hyperventilating. "You don't understand, we have to leave now."

The rabbit-creature squinted its already beady little eyes, focusing its attention on the two young women. "Anyanka?" it said in a deep, gravelly voice. "Has fortune truly been this kind to me, to deliver you right at my feet?" Then it held up its hands and three-inch claws sprouted from its fingertips, and the thing lunged toward them.

"RUN!" Anya shouted, grabbing Tara's hand and pulling her toward the far wall. Instead of slamming into it and rebounding, they passed through the wall as if it were nothing but paper, not even anything that substantial. There was another moment of vertigo, a seasick feeling, the sense that their surroundings were melting and reforming, and then they were back in the alley.

Tara glanced back over her shoulder, but Rack's waiting room was gone. Instead, there was only a sour-smelling dumpster, the cracked pavement, and a crumbling brick wall.

"We have to go," Anya said, tugging at her arm. "He'll be coming any second, we need to be somewhere that's not here."

"But wuh-what—"

"Questions later, fleeing now."

Anya bolted down the alley, turning left at the first intersection, running away from Main Street. Tara followed, and no sooner had she turned the corner than she heard the rabbit-creature's harsh voice echoing through the confined space. "Anyanka, you can't hide from me. I have your scent now, and you smell delectably human. Not sure how that happened, but all the better for me. You know what my kind does to humans."

Tara wasn't sure what the creature's kind might do to humans, but she was suddenly imagining herself as a large carrot. Her side was hurting, but she pushed herself to keep up with Anya who was really hauling ass, seemingly taking turns at random. From the sounds of the rabbit-creature's pursuit, they were barely staying ahead of it.

Turning a blind corner, Tara collided with Anya, who had stopped dead in her tracks, and the two nearly went toppling to the pavement. Ahead was nothing but a dead-end. Another featureless brick wall. Anya tried the back door to the building on their left, Tara the one on their right. Both locked. They were boxed in.

There were a half dozen barrels lined up in a row at the back of the alley, standing about a foot away from the brick wall. Taking Tara's hand again, Anya hustled them over and they crouched down behind the barrels. Not the best hiding place, but any port in a storm and all that.

"Anyanka, your stench is getting stronger, won't be long now," the creature's voice rang out, sounding only a few turns behind them.

"Whuh-who is that guy?" Tara said. "Another ex-boyfriend like that truh-troll and Rack?"

"I told you, Rack was not my boyfriend. Just a guy I made out with a couple of times."

"I thought you said only once."

"Do you really think this is the appropriate time to judge my kissing choices? And no, Jax is not an ex. I would never touch that disgusting fur-ball."

"What's he got against you?"

"About fifty years ago, give or take, when I was still a demon, I sort of banished his entire race to another dimension."

"Why?"

"Did you see him?" Anya said emphatically, but keeping her voice low, as if this explained everything. "I don't know how he managed to find his way back to our world, but obviously he's heard the expression about payback."

"What does his kuh-kind do to humans?"

"You don't want to know. Can't you do something to get us out of this?"

"Like what?"

"How the hell should I know? You're the witch, do something witchy."

"I guess I could do a guh-glamour, change our appearance."

"Well then do it already."

Tara closed her eyes and began speaking softly, words in Latin she'd learned from one of Willow's spell books. She hoped she was getting the incantation right; she'd hate to mispronounce a crucial word and turn Anya and herself into toadstools or something.

Her skin suddenly felt hot and prickled as if she were being poked by hundreds of tiny needles. When she opened her eyes and glanced over at Anya she nearly screamed, but then she realized the spell had worked. Anya no longer looked like herself, instead she looked like a man of about sixty, emaciated and filthy, wearing barely held together rags. A homeless man. Looking down at herself, Tara saw a body three times larger than her real one, covered in a sack of a dress that was stained and torn.

Then Tara did scream as the barrels were knocked out of the way, clattering against the building to their left. The rabbit-creature, Jax Anya had called it, towered over them, its pink eyes ablaze with fury. But when it got a good look at them, just a homeless couple cowering in an alleyway, it paused, scratched its head behind its left ear, then said, "Sorry folks, thought you were someone else. You haven't seen two young women around here, have you?"

Tara cringed away from the creature, only half-acting, and shook her head.

"On my way to a costume party," Jax said with a forced laugh, gesturing to its head. "Sorry if I scared you."

With a rather gentlemanly bow, the creature turned and took off back down the alley, disappearing around the corner.

"You did it," the homeless man said in Anya's voice. "Good job."

"I don't know how luh-long the glamour will hold, though, so we better get out of here."

As they made their way back down the alley, Anya caught a glimpse of her reflection in an old hubcap. "Very impressive work, I definitely want you to teach me how to do this. It will come in very handy when Xander and I role-play."

"You muh-mean like Dungeons & Dragons?"

"We haven't done that one yet. But we have done Patient & Naughty Nurse and Teacher & Naughty Student."

"Oh," Tara said, thinking, _I walked right into that one_.

"I look just like one of those bums on the street begging for my hard-earned money, but at least I don't smell like one."

This last statement set off warning bells in Tara's mind, but it took her a few seconds to put it all together. Before she could say anything, they turned the corner and found Jax waiting for them.

"Silly Anyanka," the creature said, seizing the homeless man by the shoulders. "Did you really think this flimsy glamour would fool me? A mere parlor trick. I told you, I have your scent, and changing your appearance doesn't mask that."

"Luh-let go of huh-her," Tara said, beating on the creature's arm.

As if shooing away a pesky fly, Jax swatted at Tara, sending her careening into a wall. Her head smashed into the bricks and she went down hard on her backside, the world graying around the edges. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was Jax lifting Anya into its arms and dashing down the alley with her.


	5. Chapter 5

_Okay, so this chapter is Anya-less, but I like casting Tara in a more commanding role, standing on her own instead of as part of the group. And of course a little foreshadowing of things to come…_

Chapter Five: Desperately Seeking Anya

When Tara came to, she felt as if there was a deranged chick in her head trying to hatch out of her skull. She reached up to touch her temple, feeling the slick stickiness of the blood there. She looked around herself, wincing at the detonation of pain that erupted just from moving her head that little bit, but of course she was alone in the alley. No sign of Anya or the vengeance-seeking Jax. A demon seeking vengeance against a former vengeance demon, there was some kind of irony there but Tara didn't have time to contemplate it.

Bracing herself against the wall at her back, she slowly got to her feet. Her glamour had collapsed, probably as soon as she had lost consciousness, restoring her to her normal appearance. Checking her watch, she saw that she'd only been out for twenty minutes. Not that long, but certainly long enough for Jax to have disappeared with Anya. Tara couldn't waste time, she had to find her friend and fast.

At first Tara started stumbling back toward Main Street, intending to go straight to the Magic Box and enlist the help of Willow, Mr. Giles, Buffy, the whole gang, but then she stopped abruptly, reconsidering. Despite their assurances that the matter was in the past, Tara was sure the spell she'd cast on her birthday that had gone awry was still fresh in everyone's mind. This would just give them more reason to think she was irresponsible and untrustworthy, maybe even make Willow think twice about coming to her defense.

No, better she do this alone, find Anya and get her back, and the rest of the Scooby Gang didn't have to be any the wiser.

But how to even start? There was no telling where the rabbit-creature had taken Anya, and Tara hadn't yet mastered the locator spell at which Willow had become so adept, so she didn't even know where to begin looking.

But maybe there was someone who could tell her.

Reversing direction, Tara began to wander back the way she'd come, trying to remember which turns she had Anya had taken during their frantic flight, all the while remaining alert for that electric feeling that would tell her she was close to Rack's place. It didn't take long to find, and the vertigo was much less this trip, as if she were getting used to the transition.

This time, instead of taking a seat in the waiting room, Tara marched right to the door from which Jax had first emerged and barged through it without even bothering to knock. She found herself in a large room with pillows thrown about the floor in lieu of actual furniture; on the opposite side of the room stood the creature with the shark's head (what was it with demons that had humanoid bodies and animal heads?), dressed impeccably in a black suit with an electric blue tie, and next to him was a shirtless man with stringy shoulder-length hair, a veiny face, and dead eyes. This had to be none other than Rack himself. Tara wasn't even sure if he was human, demon, or a mixture of both.

"Hey doll, we're kind of in the middle of something here," the shark-beast said in the voice of a cliché 50s mobster.

"Sorry, but I cuh-can't wait," Tara said, making a concerted effort to keep her stuttering to a minimum. "I have to talk to Rack ruh-right now."

The shirtless man-who-might-not-be-a-man sauntered over, moving with such limberness it seemed almost as if he had no bones. "Aren't you a sweet little thing?"

"Rack, we're conducting business here," the shark-beast said with an impatient edge to his voice.

"Hold your horses, let's hear what Little Miss Innocence has to say."

Tara's eyes instinctively dropped to the floor, but then she forced her head up and met Rack's gaze, refusing to look away. She wanted to bolt, but instead she held her ground. "There was a creature here before named Jax, I nuh-need to find him."

"And what would an unsullied girl like you want with the nasty Mr. Jax?"

"He tuh-took something, I plan to get it back."

"Brave, aren't you?" Rack said, reaching out and flicking a finger under Tara's chin.

She shrank back, the spot where he'd touched her feeling warm in a way that made her want to scrub herself clean in a hot shower. "Are you guh-going to tell me or not?"

Rack looked at her with a tilted head, a considering expression on his face. "I'll tell you," he finally said. "But for a price."

"Uhm, okay, I don't have that muh-much money, but—"

"It's not your money I want."

Now Tara did drop her gaze, and she found herself wondering if coming here alone had been such a good idea. Sure, she knew a few defensive spells, but this Rack guy was apparently some kind of dark magic expert; she didn't know what she'd do if he decided to go on the attack. "Wuh-what do you wuh-wuh-want?"

"Don't fret, sweet thing. All I want is to take a little peek."

Rack reached out to her, and with the pads of his index fingers touched her on either temple. There was a _snap_ inside her head, a sizzle, she almost thought she smelled burning hair, but then a euphoric dreaminess swept through her, relieving her of all doubt and fear. She felt almost as if she were floating up out of her body, drifting up to the ceiling to watch this little scene playing out beneath her. A pleasure as powerful as orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave of a hundred caressing fingers, probing her most secret places, opening her up like a flower basking in the sun.

When Rack broke contact, Tara's entire body felt weak, and for a moment she thought she was going to collapse into a heap on the floor. She managed to maintain her feet only through an effort of will. She felt dizzy, as if she'd been spinning around like a child at play.

Even Rack seemed dazed, swaying slightly. "Whoa, that was much more potent than I was expecting."

"What did you suh-see?"

"Good times," Rack said with a smile, but the smile faltered when he turned his strangely empty eyes on Tara. "Although not for you, but your strawberry is going to make things very interesting in this town."

Tara had no idea what he was talking about, not did she care; she was just ready to get out of here. "So now will you tell me what I want to knuh-know?"

"A deal's a deal. Jax lives in an underground burrow on the east end of Jasper woods, not too far from the UC Sunnydale campus."

"That's near the old Initiative caves," Tara said to herself.

"Sure you have to run off, sweet thing? I could teach you some spells that'll blow your mind."

"Nuh-no thanks, I really have to get guh-going."

"Suit yourself," Rack said, turning back to the shark-beast. "Tell that strawberry of yours I said hello, and I look forward to meeting her."

Without responding, Tara turned and hurried from the room, then out through the barrier and into the alley. Again cursing her choice of footwear, she made her way back to Main Street, past the Sun Cinema, and on toward campus. She didn't know Jasper woods as well as Buffy, who patrolled them regularly, but she thought she could find her way around well enough.

At least she hoped so. Anya's fate depended on it.


	6. Chapter 6

Ended up having to work unexpectedly Saturday so didn't get an installment done for that day, so here it is a day late. Hope it was worth the wait.

Chapter Six: Down the Rabbit Hole

Locating Jax's burrow proved to be much easier than Tara had anticipated. She'd wandered around the woods for only about half an hour when she spotted the rabbit-creature emerging from a hole that was all but obscured by shrubbery and vines growing down from a rocky overhang, hiding the opening behind a leafy curtain. The goddesses were certainly smiling down on Tara, because she may have never spotted the hole if Jax hadn't crawled out of it.

Luck was further on her side, because she was still a good distance from the creature and had time to duck behind a thick truck before he turned her way. He stalked off past her, disappearing in the woods. Once Tara was sure he was far enough away that he wouldn't hear her, she moved quickly toward the burrow.

She paused at the opening, realizing that just because Jax was gone didn't mean his hidey-hole was deserted. There could be others of his kind lying in wait, standing guard over Anya. If she was even still alive…

No, Tara couldn't think that way. Quickly coming up with a plan, she again recited the incantation to create a glamour, this time altering her appearance so that she now looked exactly like Jax. As long as she didn't speak, the illusion should fool anyone who may be inside. Squaring her shoulders, Tara pushed aside the branches and vines and stepped into the burrow.

There was a short tunnel that led downward before opening up into a large open space. The habitat was surprisingly neat for an underground lair. An oriental carpet covered most of the dirt floor, colorful tapestries and prints hanging on the walls. The furniture was modern and clean, a large flat-screen TV dominating the sitting area. In the far right corner was a kitchen area, but instead of a stove there was a large fire pit, flames roaring with a large black pot like a cauldron hanging above the fire, water boiling inside of it. Tall floor lamps lit the place; Tara wondered idly where the electricity came from.

She was alone in the room. No other rabbit-creatures, but also no sign of Anya. However, across the room was a tall doorway. Tara hurried across to it, pushing aside the thick curtain that obscured what was on the other side and found herself in a dark place lit only by a single burning torch in a wall sconce. The room was dim and smoky, but she saw the cage off to the left, Anya inside of it looking like the world's largest petulant child.

Anya looked up at her, but instead of registering relief or happiness she only looked angry. "Back so soon? What, did you forget the recipe? Well, I hope you choke on me, that's for damn sure."

At first Tara didn't understand what Anya was talking about, but then the witch realized that she was still disguised by the glamour; Anya thought she was talking to Jax. Tara quickly reversed the spell, and with a shimmer the glamour collapsed.

"Tara!" Anya exclaimed, gripping the bars of the cage. "Am I ever glad to see you! Did you bring the calvary?"

"I am the cuh-calvary."

"Oh. So no Willow or Buffy or even Spike?"

"Just me."

"I see. Not that I don't have complete confidence in your ability, but I'd feel a little better if you'd brought along one of the Super Friends that was a little more…well, _super_."

"Don't worry, I'll have you out in nuh-no time," Tara said, checking out the lock on the cage door. It was sturdy, but she thought it wouldn't be a problem. "Luckily Jax is guh-gone; hopefully we'll be out of here before he gets back."

"He's gone to get more ingredients for the stew."

"Stew? What kind of stew?"

"The kind that features me as the meat," Anya said. "He'll chop my feet off for luck, skin me, then throw me in the pot with some carrots and potatoes and call it supper."

Tara grimaced. "I think I feel a slight case of vuh-vegetarianism coming on."

"Just get me out of this cage."

"No puh-problem." Tara grabbed hold of the lock, closed her eyes, and said "Frigile." The lock turned to ice then shattered in her hand.

"I take back what I said before," Anya said, pushing open the cage door and stepping out. "You're plenty super for me."

Smiling, the two girls hurried back through the curtain into the main room…

And skidded to a halt when they saw Jax and two other rabbit-creatures standing between them and the exit.

"Thought it was going to be that easy, huh?" Jax said. "Fell right into my trap. I smelled you coming, witch, and now I've got two little girls to go into the pot. Will feed us for weeks to come."

Tara looked over at Anya and held out her hand. "Hold on, and whatever huh-happens don't let go."

Anya looked scared and doubtful, but she took Tara's hand and squeezed.

The three rabbit-creatures started toward them, and Tara suddenly yelled, "Extinguish!" and waved a hand in the air. At the same instant all the bulbs in the lamps exploded and the fire under the pot was doused with a hiss, plunging the burrow into total darkness.

Tara started forward, dragging Anya along with her. She went to the right, hoping Jax and the other two would be too disoriented to react immediately and she and Anya could slip right past them. She went toward the place where she thought the exit was, but then suddenly she felt a tug and Anya's hand was ripped out of her grip.

And in the darkness, Anya screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

_This is a short one, only one more chapter to go after this._

Chapter Seven: Forgetting

Hearing Anya scream like that almost caused Tara to freeze up, but she knew that if she did that, Anya was as good as stew-meat. Tara didn't even have time to truly formulate a plan or strategize; she simply had to _act_.

With a forefinger Tara began to furiously draw symbols in the air. "Anya," she shouted, "if you can huh-hear me, DUCK!" Then Tara clapped her hands and a sound like thunder roared through the burrow, the force of a strong wind flying at about shoulder height from where Tara stood to the back of the room. She heard various grunts, a clattering, and then silence.

Rummaging through her purse, Tara pawed through a variety of magic supplies and spell ingredients she often carried with her. It was hard to tell what was what in the total darkness, but she finally located a small vial which she knew contained a dark red liquid. She uncorked the vial and flicked her wrist, sending the potion out in a spray, then said, "Lux!"

Suddenly the darkness was alleviated by a series of twinkling white lights like fireflies hovering near the ceiling. This didn't provide a great deal of illumination, but enough for her to see the four figures lying on the floor near her. The three rabbit-creatures and Anya. At first Tara thought her warning hadn't been early enough and her friend had been knocked unconscious along with the three demons, but then Anya coughed and sat up.

"What was that?" Anya asked, and it was clear from her voice that she was impressed.

"A spuh-spelled called Hammer's Blow, incapacitates enemies," Tara said, reaching out a hand to help Anya to her feet.

"I'll say. It's not lightning from your fingers, but not too shabby. How long will they be out?"

"No more than an hour."

Anya stared down at the three rabbit-creatures for a moment, then she kicked Jax hard in the side, a satisfied smile curling her lips.

"Never heard the suh-saying about kicking a man when he's down?"

"That's the best time to kick him," Anya said. "When he can't kick back."

"You have a vuh-very interesting way of looking at things," Tara said with a smile.

"So what are we going to do with these guys? Once they wake up, they'll be on our trail again. I vote we send them to another dimension. Worked before."

"Not too well, they came back, remember? Besides, I don't think I have that kind of puh-power."

"What about Willow? She sent Olaf to the troll dimension."

"Well, I'd ruh-rather her not find out about this if I can help it."

"Understood. So what options does that leave us?"

"For starters, let's get them in the cuh-cage."

It took a good twenty minutes, but working together Tara and Anya finally managed to drag all three creatures into the back room and deposit them in the cage. It was a tight squeeze, but they fit. On a workbench in the corner Tara found another lock, a bit rusty but seemed sturdy enough.

"Now what?" Anya asked. "Just leave them locked up here? They'll get out eventually, and they have our scent."

Tara stood in thought for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. Finally she said, "I know of a spell that can alter their muh-memories. I've never performed it before, but I think I might be able to get them to fuh-forget ever seeing or smelling either one of us."

"Sounds great, I say you go for it."

"Well, there's something I nuh-need for the spell."

"Not a problem, I'll run back to Rack's—"

"NO!" Tara said forcefully. "Go to the Magic Box."

"But what if Giles asks questions?"

"Anya, I have complete cuh-confidence in your ability to be sneaky."

"Thanks. Okay, I'll do it. What is it you need?"

"It's a fuh-flower. Called Lethe's Bramble."


	8. Chapter 8

_Okay, so here it is, the final chapter. This one is incredibly short, really more of a prologue, house cleaning, wrapping things up. Hope those of you who have been reading along didn't find the story too anticlimactic._

Chapter Eight: All's Well

They came out of the woods on the very edge of the UC Sunnydale campus. The sun was just starting to set, the sky along the horizon blazing with vibrant color. It was a stunning sight, and the two girls stood side by side for a moment, just taking it all in.

"You sure they won't remember us?" Anya asked.

"Lethe's Bramble is powerful stuh-stuff. Enough of it and they wouldn't even remember their own names."

"Yikes, remind me not to plant any in my garden."

"I know, I hated having to use it, just the idea of having my muh-mind violated like that is repugnant, but desperate measures were called for."

"You did very well," Anya said, reaching over and giving Tara's hand a squeeze. "I couldn't have asked for a witchier witch. Next time I'm in a life-threatening situation, you're definitely the one I want with me."

"Uhm, thanks I think."

The two girls shared a laugh, then Tara said, "Still want to luh-learn some spells?"

Anya seemed to consider for a moment then shook her head. "Seems to me magic almost invariably leads to trouble. No offense."

"None taken. Want to cuh-come up to the room? Willow should be back by now, we can huh-hang out."

"I'll have to take a rain check. Xander's taking me to the party on campus tonight; I still need to get ready. I'm hoping they have some of those little hand-woven grain patties. I admire their taste almost as much as their craftsmanship."

After exchanging goodbyes, Anya started off toward the far side of campus. Tara watched her go, thinking about the peculiar day she had just shared with the ex-demon. There had been fear and violence and near-death…so why did Tara find herself smiling?

It took her less than five minutes to reach Stevenson Hall, and she hurried up to Willow's room. As she figured, Willow was back, sitting on her bed with books open all around her. A familiar tableau.

"Hi Tara, where've you been?"

"Out ruh-running errands," Tara said evasively. "Doing your homework?"

"Actually I've been looking up some spells I think may help us against Glory."

"Be careful," Tara said, a frown of concern forming a crinkle between her eyebrows. "That teleportation spell we performed tuh-took a lot out of you, remember?"

"I know, but there's a lot of stuff in here that could be helpful. Here's one for creating serpents; give her a taste of her own medicine after that giant snake she sent after Dawnie. And here's a neat one that involves shooting lightning bolts out of your fingers."

"Really? There's actually a spell like that? Don't tuh-tell Anya, she might change her mind."

Now it was Willow who frowned. "Anya? Change her mind about what?"

"Nuh-nothing," Tara said, waving the comment away with a flip of her hand. "So how was study guh-group?"

"Fine, I think I'm going to ace this Chem test. I've told you my theory about Chemistry, right?"

"Like wuh-witchcraft but less newt," Tara said with a smile.

"Exactly. So what did you do today?"

Tara's smile widened. "Oh, nothing, just the usual."


End file.
